HR 143 · 119th CongressIn Committee

Unauthorized Spending Accountability Act

Latest updateDec 2, 2025

Ordered to be Reported (Amended) by the Yeas and Nays: 25 - 19.

Economics and Public Finance

Sponsor

Kat Cammack

Introduced

January 3, 2025

Latest action

December 2, 2025

Legislative Progress

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President

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Introduced

Bill filed in chamber

Committee

Reviewed & reported

Passed Chamber

House or Senate vote

Passed Both

House & Senate agree

President

Sent to White House

Enacted

Signed into law

Latest Action

Ordered to be Reported (Amended) by the Yeas and Nays: 25 - 19.

Plain-Language Summary

AI Generated

Congress regularly appropriates funds for federal programs even after their statutory authorizations expire. Currently, there is no automatic mechanism to reduce or eliminate funding for these unauthorized programs. Instead, they continue to receive appropriations year after year through the normal budget process, sometimes for decades after their original authorization lapsed. This creates a disconnect between congressional intent—expressed through time-limited authorizations—and actual spending, allowing programs to persist indefinitely without explicit reapproval.

The Unauthorized Spending Accountability Act establishes an automatic three-year reduction schedule for any program whose authorization has expired. Beginning in fiscal year 2026, the House and Senate Budget Committees must reduce the budgetary allocation for unauthorized programs by 10 percent in the first year following expiration, then by 15 percent in the second and third years following expiration. The Congressional Budget Office's annual "Expired and Expiring Authorizations of Appropriations" report identifies which programs trigger these reductions. Congress can avoid these cuts by reauthorizing a program with a sunset provision limiting the authorization period to no more than three years.

If an unauthorized program remains unfunded after three years of reductions, it terminates automatically on October 1 of the fourth year following expiration. Any unobligated funds may still be used to settle existing obligations, but no new spending is permitted without explicit congressional reauthorization. The reduction schedule applies to programs that expired before 2026 as well, treating them as if they expire in 2026 for purposes of the three-year cycle. This creates ongoing pressure on Congress to actively reauthorize programs rather than allowing them to continue on autopilot, fundamentally shifting the default from indefinite funding to time-limited authorization.

Key Provisions

1Establish a recurring three-year budgetary reduction cycle for any program with expired authorizations, beginning in fiscal year 2026, with reductions of 10 percent in year one and 15 percent in years two and three following expiration.
2Require the House and Senate Budget Committees to reduce budgetary allocations for unauthorized programs based on the Congressional Budget Office's annual report identifying programs with expired or expiring authorizations.
3Terminate any unauthorized program automatically on October 1 of the fourth year following authorization expiration unless Congress reauthorizes it with a sunset provision limiting the authorization period to no more than three years.
4Allow Congress to exempt unauthorized programs from budgetary reductions by reauthorizing them during the fiscal year in which the reduction applies, provided the reauthorization includes a sunset provision with an authorization period not exceeding three years.
5Prohibit any new obligations of funds for terminated programs without express congressional reauthorization containing an authorization of appropriations period not to exceed three years, though unobligated amounts may be used to settle pre-termination obligations.

★ Why this matters

Programs with expired authorizations would face automatic funding cuts unless Congress actively reauthorizes them, shifting the default from indefinite spending to time-limited authorization. This creates a mechanism to force periodic congressional review of federal programs and could reduce overall federal spending if programs are not reauthorized. Agencies would need to plan for potential funding reductions and eventual termination if reauthorization does not occur.

● Who this affects

Federal agencies administering programs with expired authorizations face the most direct impact, as they must navigate funding reductions and potential termination. Congress members and the House and Senate Budget Committees must actively manage reauthorizations to prevent program terminations. Beneficiaries of federal programs with expired authorizations—including Medicare providers, veterans receiving benefits, research institutions, and state and local governments receiving federal grants—could experience service disruptions or reduced funding if programs are not reauthorized.

Bill Text

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<DOC>

119th CONGRESS
  1st Session
                                H. R. 143

   To establish a budgetary level reduction schedule, and for other 
                               purposes.

                    IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

                            January 3, 2025

  Mrs. Cammack (for herself and Mr. Schmidt) introduced the following 
 bill; which was referred to the Committee on Oversight and Government 
Reform, and in addition to the Committees on the Budget, and Rules, for 
a period to be subsequently determined by the Speaker, in each case for 
consideration of such provisions as fall within the jurisdiction of the 
                          committee concerned

                                 A BILL

 
   To establish a budgetary level reduction schedule, and for other 
                               purposes.

    Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the 
United States of America in Congress assembled,

SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE.

    This Act may be cited as the ``Unauthorized Spending Accountability 
Act''.

SEC. 2. ESTABLISHMENT OF BUDGETARY LEVEL REDUCTION SCHEDULE.

    (a) In General.--There is hereby established a reoccurring three-
year budgetary level reduction cycle with respect to any unauthorized 
program, to begin in fiscal year 2026, consistent with the requirements 
of this Act.
    (b) Definitions.--In this Act:
            (1) Budgetary level.--The term ``budgetary level'' means 
        the allocation made under section 302(a) of the Congressional 
        Budget Act of 1974 (2 U.S.C. 633(a)) to the Committee on 
        Appropriations of the House of Representatives or the Senate in 
        a concurrent resolution on the budget for a fiscal year, and 
        includes any such allocation made pursuant to a deeming 
        resolution.
            (2) Expiring fiscal year.--The term ``expiring fiscal 
        year'' means, with respect to an unauthorized program, the 
        fiscal year during which authorizations of appropriations will 
        expire for such program.
            (3) Unauthorized program.--The term ``unauthorized 
        program'' means any program or activity listed in the annual 
        report published by the Congressional Budget Office, entitled 
        ``Expired and Expiring Authorizations of Appropriations'', or 
        any successor report, with respect to which authorizations of 
        appropriations will expire during the fiscal year in which such 
        report is published.
    (c) Application to Programs That Expired Before Fiscal Year 2026.--
For purposes of applying this Act to any unauthorized program funded 
during fiscal year 2026 and for which authorizations of appropriations 
expired before such fiscal year, such program shall be deemed to be a 
program or activity listed in the report referred to in subsection 
(b)(3) with respect to which authorizations of appropriations will 
expire during fiscal year 2026.

SEC. 3. REDUCTION IN BU…

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D-North Carolina · District 12

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